IRRIGATED CORN RESPONSE TO NITROGEN FERTILIZATION IN THE COLORADO ARKANSAS VALLEY

1. IRRIGATED CORN RESPONSE TO NITROGEN FERTILIZATION IN THE COLORADO ARKANSAS VALLEY RESULTS Ardell Halvorson1, Frank Schweissing2, Michael Bartolo2,and Curtis Reule1 1USDA-ARS, Fort Collins, CO and 2AVRC, Rocky Ford, CO email:ardell.halvorson@ars.usda.gov; phone: (970) 492-7230 Corn grain yields were not significantly increased by N fertilization the 1st year following watermelon, but increased with increasing residual soil NO3-N levels the 2nd year without additional N fertilization, and increased by N fertilization in the 3rd and 4th years. Irrigation water was limited and became unavailable due to drought conditions the first week of August for the 3rd crop. Therefore, the 3rd corn crop suffered from severe drought stress and reduced yields. The check plot (no N fertilizer applied) has had sufficient residual soil N to produce 718 bu of corn per acre in 4 years. The mineralization of available N from the soil organic matter in this soil appears to be quite high, as evidenced from the corn yields obtained from the check plots and removal of 386 lb N/a in the grain in 4 years. Averaged over years, N source did not significantly affect corn yields. ABSTRACT High levels of residual NO3-N are present in the soils in the Arkansas River Valley where alfalfa, grains, and vegetable crops are produced. Nitrogen requirements to optimize yield potential of crops, such as corn, following vegetables needs to be evaluated to reduce NO3-N leaching potential in the Valley where high NO3-N levels have been reported in the ground water. The effects of N source (urea and Polyon®3) and fertilizer N rate on corn yields were evaluated for 4 years. Corn grain yields were not significantly increased by N fertilization the 1st year following watermelon, but increased with increasing residual soil NO3-N levels the 2nd year without additional N fertilization, and increased by N fertilization in the 3rd and 4th years. Averaged over years, N source did not significantly affect corn yields. Averaged over years, corn grain yields were near maximum with an average application of 75 to 100 lb N/a per year. Silage yields increased with increasing N rate each year, except for the 2nd yr. Soil residual NO3-N levels were increased with increasing N rate the 1st year. Residual soil NO3-N levels declined following the 2nd corn crop with no additional N fertilizer applied. Irrigation water was limited and became unavailable due to drought conditions the first week of August for the 3rd crop. Therefore, the 3rd corn crop suffered from severe drought stress and reduced yields. The 4-year average N fertilizer use efficiency was 74% at the lowest fertilizer N rate and less than 50% at the higher N rates. Residual soil NO3-N levels declined with each additional corn crop in the check (no N added) treatment. Nitrogen application to corn in Arkansas River Valley produced in rotation with vegetable crops and alfalfa may need to be reduced to prevent NO3-N contamination of groundwater in this area. Based on this study, it appears that a minimal amount (75 to 100 lb N/a) of N fertilizer may be needed to maintain high grain and silage corn yields in the Valley in rotation with vegetable crops and alfalfa. Fertilizer N appears to be moving out of the root zone with downward movement of irrigation water. METHODS AND MATERIALS *Study was initiated under conventional tillage and furrow irrigation on a calcareous (soil pH of 7.8) Rocky Ford silty clay loam soil at Arkansas Valley Research Center (AVRC) at Rocky Ford in 2000. *Soil organic matter (SOM) ranges from 1.5 to 1.8%. *Plot area that had previously been in alfalfa for 5 years, before being plowed up on 20 October 98. Two applications of 150 lb P2O5/a as 11-52-0, which added 64 lb N/a, were applied during the five years of alfalfa production. Watermelon was produced on the plot area in 1999 with 100 lb P2O5/a applied as 11-52-0 which contained 21 lb N/a. *In 2000 and 2001, 50 lb P2O5/a was applied over the entire plot area as 11-52-0 which contained 11 lb N/a. *Six N fertilizer rates (see Figure 1) *Two N sources, urea and Polyon® (a slow-release urea fertilizer). *A randomized block, split-plot design was used with N rate as main plot and N source as subplots with 4 replications. *Corn hybrid varied with year. In 2000, corn was planted at a seeding rate of about 28,400 seeds/A. The 2001, 2002, and 2003 corn was planted at seeding rates near 40,000 seeds/A. *Soil NO3-N levels have been monitored in the plot area since the spring of 1999. *The N fertilizer rates were not reapplied in 2001 because of high levels of residual soil NO3-N following harvest of the 2000 corn crop. The 2001 corn crop was produced with the residual soil NO3-N remaining from the 2000 N fertilizer application. *Plant samples were collected in September each year for biomass yield. Grain yields were determined with a plot combine at maturity. *N level in the irrigation water was monitored by AVRC throughout each growing season. The N level in the irrigation water was monitored by AVRC throughout each growing season. The irrigation water contained an average of 2.5 ppm NO3-N in 2000, 2.8 ppm NO3-N in 2001, and 2.4 ppm NO3-N in 2002. The N contribution from the irrigation water to the plot area would have amounted to about 6 lb N/a in 1999 while irrigating the watermelon, about 15 lb N/a in 2000, about 14 lb N/a in 2001, and about 14 lb N/a in 2002 while irrigating the corn crops. In 2003, N level in the water was not monitored, but was assumed to be similar to previous years. Assuming a 50% irrigation efficiency, about 7 to 8 lbs of N may have entered the soil each year. *Due to severe drought conditions and lack of irrigation water in 2002, the last irrigation occurred on August 2nd, shortly after pollination was completed. Therefore, the 2002 crop suffered from water stress during grain fill which reduced yield potential. Corn silage yields increased with increasing N rate each year, except for the 2nd yr. *Crop N fertilizer use efficiency (NFUE) based on total biomass N uptake in 2000 decreased with increasing N rate with NFUE of 41, 21, 15, 2, and 7% for the 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 lb N/a treatments, respectively. The two yearNFUE’s based on total biomass N uptake for the combined 2000 and 2001 crops were 71, 39, 34, 25, and 25 % for these same respective N treatments. The four year (2000-2003) NFUE was 74, 60, 55, 43, and 48 % for the N2, N3, N4, N5, and N6 fertilizer N treatments, respectively. Based on total N removal by grain in 4 years, the NFUE was 54, 36, 34, 32, and 30 % for the N2, N3, N4, N5, and N6 fertilizer N treatments respectively. *Based on the corn N uptake data, an average of 0.7 lb N/bu was removed in the corn grain in 2000, 0.68 lb N/bu in 2001, 0.63 lb N/bu in 2002, and 0.68 lb N/bu in 2003. Nitrogen removal in the grain increased with increasing N rate when averaged over 4 years. An average total N requirement of 1.09 lb N/bu was required to produce the 2000 corn crop, 1.19 lb N/bu in 2001, 0.87 lb N/bu in 2002 and 1.01 lb N/bu in 2003 with a 4 year average of 1.04 lb N/bu with little influence of N rate or N source on the amount of N required to produce a bushel of corn. *Although the irrigation water contributed some N to the cropping system, it does not appear to be a major contributor to the high levels of NO3-N found in the soils at AVRC. Based on corn yields and N uptake of the check plots (no N fertilizer applied), soil N mineralization potential was very high in this soil. OBJECTIVES Objectives of this research were to: (1) determine N fertilizer needs for optimizing furrow-irrigated corn yields in a high residual soil N environment in Arkansas River Valley; (2) evaluate the effects of a slow-release N fertilizer on NFUE by corn; and (3) evaluate the influence of N fertilizer rate on residual soil NO3-N and potential for groundwater contamination. Watermelon: The amount of N in the watermelon tops and unharvested melons in 1999, with a C/N ratio of about 12, potentially contributed up to 184 lb N/a to the 2000 corn crop.. This might explain the unexpected high level of soil NO3-N (181 lb N/a) at corn planting in 2000. Soil N: In 2001, soil NO3-N levels had declined following the second corn crop. At corn planting in 2002, soil NO3-N levels had increased slightly compared with levels after harvest in 2001. Planting soil NO3-N levels in 2003 were similar to those in 2002. Averaged over years, corn grain yields were near maximum with an average application of 75 to 100 lb N/a per year. __________________________________________ ®Registered Trade Mark of Pursell Technologies Inc., Sylacauga, AL. 3Trade names and company names are included for the benefit of the reader and do not imply any endorsement or preferential treatment of the product by the authors or the USDA, Agricultural Research Service. CONCLUSION Nitrogen application to corn in Arkansas River Valley produced in rotation with vegetable crops and alfalfa may need to be reduced to prevent NO3-N contamination of groundwater in this area. Based on this study, it appears that a minimal amount (75 to 100 lb N/a) of N fertilizer may be needed to maintain high grain and silage corn yields in the Valley in rotation with vegetable crops and alfalfa. Fertilizer N appears to be moving out of the root zone with downward movement of irrigation water. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors wish to thank Patti Norris, Brad Floyd, Catherine Cannon, Kevin Tanabe, and Marvin Wallace for their field assistance and analytical support in processing the soil and plant samples and collecting the data reported herein. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Northern Plains Area is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all agency services are available without discrimination.